2 weeks Ago By Neha Madaan
Pune: The city's air quality has taken a hit this summer, plunging into the "moderate" category over the past few days — usually a winter occurrence. Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data showed that the city's Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 135 on March 23 (Sunday), with ozone (O3) and PM2.5 emerging as the chief pollutants.
The Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) bulletin corroborated the CPCB's readings. It stated that Pune's overall air quality was "moderate" with an AQI of 135 the same day. An IITM forecast suggested that the trend was likely to persist, with air quality expected to remain in the "moderate" category till March 26 (Wednesday).
On Monday, as per CPCB, Pune's AQI was again in the "moderate" category at 107, with O3 and PM10 as chief pollutants. While summer typically brings respite from the pollution spikes seen in winter, this year has defied expectations, leaving pulmonologists and residents concerned. Dr Vrushali Khadke, a chest specialist at Poona Hospital, said there was a noticeable rise in respiratory issues this summer compared to previous years.
She told TOI: "Usually, by the first week of March, these cases start weaning off. However, I'm still seeing a lot of patients. There's been a surge in upper respiratory tract infections, and patients with inherent allergies are experiencing recurrent worsening of their symptoms.
" The physician attributed the uptick to not only weather conditions but also construction dust . She said: "Many patients I have spoken to have complained of construction activities in their localities prior to an allergic reaction or bout. This summer has been especially worse compared to last year.
" Dr Khadke said, "Pollution — both environmental and indoor, from incense burning at home or outdoor construction activities — is increasing the incidence of allergic airway disorders. However, this summer, the major reason seems to be construction activity. Wherever I have asked, patients have pointed to some construction happening nearby.
" An IITM official told TOI that the main reasons for the dip in air quality were construction activities in residential areas, including those related to Pune Metro, road dust, and traffic. The official said: "There have been no weather-related changes that can be held responsible for this decline in Pune's air quality. If you look at the areas, the main pollution is concentrated in places such as Pune University Chowk, Shivajinagar, and Katraj.
The higher pollutant concentrations in these areas are causing the overall Pune AQI to increase, though areas like Pashan remain cleaner." Areas such as MHADA Colony, Hadapsar, Bhosari, Nigdi, Kothrud, SPPU (Savitribai Phule Pune University), and Shivajinagar showed "moderate" air quality on Monday. Dr Nandkishore Gosavi, an ENT specialist at a private clinic in Hadapsar, told TOI: "We are getting cases of allergic rhinitis, with patients coming in with symptoms of sneezing, watering of the nose, irritation in the throat, and one of the causes of these symptoms could be exposure to dust—particularly road dust—and other forms of pollution.
This isn't something we see consistently throughout the year, but there's been an increase in such cases since a month." On how the current conditions differ, he explained, "With summer spiking now and temperatures rising to about 40°C, there's a lot of loose dust. The high temperature causes the soil to lose moisture and become loose, and then with winds blowing, there are more dust particles in the air.
This, combined with the flowering season and rising pollution levels, could be contributing to the problem." On if there's been a noticeable rise in patients, he said: "Yes, in the last month, the percentage of such patients has increased." Lily George, a resident of Wanowrie with two children, said: "We had to shift out from the place we were renting because of construction activity in the area.
My daughter is asthmatic, and the construction dust was triggering her symptoms and affecting her health. The dust and noise were incessant — too much to bear. It was disrupting our peace of mind.
The dust was so bad that it would come into our home through the wind, forcing us to rent another place a little farther away from the area.".
